You might be thinking, “Well of course I do.” And you have many ways to get it -- even rejecting applicants who refuse to provide it.

However, in making this a requirement, you are allowing your own company to have salaries dictated by competing employers. There are plenty of online resources available these days that make it easy to find out what a particular position in your region is worth.

Researching salaries on your own allows you to decide for yourselves what you should pay for a particular position. It also avoids any confusion when a candidate is from a different region of the country where wages are much higher or lower than your area.

In addition, eliminating a salary history requirement and deciding ahead of time what you will pay, prevents the following:

1. Legal issues associated with differing wages for the same position. What if several people are of different races, sexes, or have disabilities

2. Alienating a new hire who may quickly find another, better-paying job. This leaves you on the hook for another cycle of plowing through resumes, job interviews, hiring, and training.

3. Losing out on an otherwise great employee.

Finally, your company creates for itself a more positive image in the eyes of all current and potential employees.